i know i don't know you, but i want you so bad
by fitzpleasures
Summary: percy's biggest problem used to be that he wasn't married. his biggest problem now is trying to keep his love for another man's fiancée a secret.
1. Chapter 1

He was bored. So aggravatingly bored.

Every day consisted of the same routine: wake up, meet with father, have father assure him that '_today will be the day_', prove him wrong and yet again disappoint him. It had all become so mundane.

Most boys his age would be more than delighted to be in his position, having girls from all over the kingdom throwing themselves at him, but then again, most boys his age were already married or at least promised to someone.

Perseus Jackson was single.

The Jacksons weren't royalty but they were pretty high on the social ladder. Every low class man with a decent looking daughter prayed to the gods that Perseus (or his father, rather) would choose their daughter to marry. Being married or even just being engaged to the young, handsome Perseus Jackson would do wonders for a family's social status. Too bad for them Perseus had yet to choose a wife.

He wasn't ignorant to the whispers. People around the kingdom wondered why he hadn't married yet. He was going on his nineteenth year. He was getting quite old to be single. People began to consider that maybe the young bachelor didn't want a wife. Maybe he wanted a husband. This, of course, was incorrect. The reason Perseus hadn't picked a wife was because none of the girls he had to choose from were right.

There were the girls in the kingdom he would pass during walks or visits to markets. They would smile shyly knowing that the probability of him choosing them for a wife was slim. He was near royalty. What would he want with a blacksmith's daughter?

Then there were his father's girls. The girls he lined up for his son. They were from all over the land, all presented to him reeking of desperation. They didn't want him; they wanted what being married to him would bring.

He knew it was rare to find but he just wanted someone who wanted him for him, not because of his last name or the amount of gold his family owned, but because he was Perseus Jackson and she loved him. (And vice versa, of course.) But it seemed unlikely he'd actually be able to get what he wanted.

"Percy! Percy!" Tyson, his half-brother and father's bastard son, yelled running into Perseus' bedroom. He only ever called him by his nickname, 'Percy', when he was really excited.

The elder brother had just finished dressing for tonight's festivities when he was greeted by Tyson's loud voice.

"Calm down, Tyson. What is it?"

"I saw it! I saw the carriage!" Tyson wasn't the brightest in the land but he meant well. Little things like the sight of the kingdom's visitor's carriage excited him greatly.

Percy sighed. "Ah yes, the great carriage of the great visiting Prince Castellan! What a treat."

Tyson smiled and nodded, clearly not picking up on the sarcasm in his half-brother's words.

"It is a treat, Percy! He is bringing his future wife!"

Again, Percy sighed. Prince Castellan had finally chosen a wife and the kingdom was having a fit over it. There was a giant party to be held in the new couple's honor, being thrown by his uncle Zeus. Percy was surprised he would throw the party considering his uncle had to be upset the crown prince bypassed his own daughter Thalia in favor of this other mystery girl.

"I hear she's the prettiest girl in all the land!" Tyson exclaimed. "Do you think that's true, Percy? Do you think she could really be prettier than every other girl?"

That was hard to believe. Mostly in these types of situations, the kind where two kids were married for the sake of joining families, someone ended up with the short end of the stick, whether it be the guy or the girl. There was too much hype behind this girl. She was bound to disappoint.

"She is probably attractive but the prettiest? I do not know about that." Percy turned and placed a hand on his shoulder. "But, my dear brother, why speculate about this girl when we can just go see her for ourselves?"

The two Jackson boys, accompanied by their servants, made their way to the grand hall. They were somewhat late to the festivities. The party was in full swing already. People were dancing, drinking, eating, everything. There was a huge crowd around the main table where Zeus and his guests sat so one could only assume the Prince and future princess were here.

Percy found his father's table and sat. He father was there seated next to his mother, a grimace on his face. Tyson sat to the left of Percy and immediately began to dig into the plate of food in front of him.

"You are late." Percy's father stated through gritted teeth. "All the other families arrived together. Tyson, your mother and I had to walk in alone. And then we have to send Tyson for you? Do you realize how bad that made us look?"

"I was late because I was getting ready. Have to look my best for the Prince and his future wife. Imagine how bad our family would look if I showed up in a terrible outfit." Percy's words earned a groan from his father.

"Listen," And that was Percy's cue to do the exact opposite. "Go greet Prince Castellan. Make a good impression. He will remember you and think of you when he picks his kingsguard."

Along with trying to marry him off, Percy's father was also trying to get him knighted.

Knowing he didn't have much a choice in the matter, Percy reluctantly stood and went over to the main table to kiss the Prince's ass.

"Ah! Nephew!" Zeus called out as Percy approached. The man had pieces of chicken in his beard but far be it from him to correct the king on his table manners. Prince Castellan sat to his left, slightly revolted. "Prince Luke this is my brother's son, Perseus. Excellent with the sword this one. Not married yet but maybe his lack of a woman keeps him focused on swordsmanship!"

Prince Luke nodded in Percy's direction and extended a hand. "Pleasure to meet you Perseus. Your uncle speaks highly of you. Also good to be in the good graces of a king."

"Even better to be in the good graces of a future king." Oh, Percy's father would be proud of him for that line.

Luke grinned, amused by Percy's words. The grin didn't last once he noticed the way Percy's eyes kept glancing to the empty seat to the Prince's left.

"She stepped out for a moment." He explained the absence of his future wife. "I would love for you to meet her. A future queen's opinion is just as important as a future king's, would you not agree?"

Percy nodded. "I would definitely agree."

"Your uncle here has been gracious enough to extend to myself and my bride-to-be a week's stay. Perhaps we shall arrange an afternoon gathering? Maybe you can even bring a lady?" Luke nudged his elbow into Zeus' side causing the elder man to chuckle.

"Perhaps." Percy agreed half-heartedly with a bitter smile. Apparently now even the prince was trying to marry him off. "If you'll excuse me, Prince Castellan?"

"Please," he waved his hand. "Call me Luke! And I shall see you soon Perseus."

With a small bow Percy walked away from the table. He waited until he was far from the prince to roll his eyes. The whole idea of being around people like Luke, boys who thought they were men just because of the royal title in front of their name, didn't excite him. For a split second Percy felt a bit sorry for the girl who was to be married to the guy.

Percy took a look at his family's table and decided to skip out on returning to sit there. His father was currently trying to convince Tyson to go mingle with some handmaidens while his mother was chatting it up with some woman he had never seen before. She was quite striking. Long auburn hair in a braid slung over her shoulder and grey eyes Percy could see even from where he was standing. For an older woman, she sure was attractive.

He decided to go outside for some air. The only time he wasn't surrounded by talks of marriage or finding a partner was when he was alone. Percy made sure to nick a bottle of wine before leaving the grand hall. Alone, drinking and single. His father would be so proud.

Percy made his way out of the hall, checking behind him to make sure he wasn't spotted leaving. He was so busy looking behind him, though, he wasn't paying much attention to what was in front of him.

"_Oof_!"

Percy held his hands out in front of himself to prevent the person he had run into from falling over. His heart leapt into his throat seeing it was a girl.

"Sorry, my lady." He quickly apologized. When he glanced over her to make sure she was okay, he noticed she bore a striking resemblance to the woman he saw his mother talking to. The only difference was instead of auburn hair she had golden curls that fell down her shoulders. To put it simply, she was breathtaking.

"It's quite alright. Although you should watch where you're going next time." The girl's grey eyes drifted to the bottle in his hand. "Or maybe you shouldn't drink so much wine?"

Percy blinked a few times before nervously chuckling and shaking his head. "Oh no I haven't been drinking. Bit of bad luck to drink at a party before the guests of honor have given their toast."

"Doesn't seem like you have to worry about that considering you're leaving."

It was so refreshing to talk to a girl who wasn't throwing herself at him or barely engaging due to shyness.

"You got me there…_Wise Girl_." Percy smiled cheekily and extended his hand. "Perseus Jackson. And you, my lady?"

She grabbed a hold of his hand and Percy noted how her soft palm felt against his callused one. She had to be a Lady of some sort. Her hands have no indication that she had an occupation where she had to work with her hands.

"Annabeth Chase."

Percy repeated the name, letting it fall on his lips a few times to commit it to memory. "Tell me, Annabeth, would you like to join me in the garden for a short while? To be honest it's a bore in there. Everyone's buzzing about this soon-to-be princess and she's not even in there."

"A princess you say? What do you think of it all?" She asked curiously.

"It's all a bit overhyped if you ask me. Clearly this isn't a marriage of love but one of politics. I hear the girl is from a kingdom that King Hermes is having some tension with, something about a disagreement with their king. To prevent any kind of war he sends his son to marry one of their king's daughters. Anyone with half a brain could see that."

"You have very interesting views, Perseus Jackson." He decided he liked the way his name sounded coming out of her mouth. Why couldn't his father set him up with her? That would be an arrangement he could agree to. "But you are wrong. My father and King Hermes have no issue with each other."

"I'm sorry, did you just say your father?" Percy wasn't sure he was hearing her correctly.

"My mother, Queen Athena, she's the one that has been a little testy when it comes to the King." Annabeth continued, ignoring his question. "And I haven't decided my feelings for Luke. It could be love but love takes time, I suppose."

It suddenly hit Percy all at once. "You're the princess?"

"Future princess." She smirked.

Percy stood stunned.

"I shall be seeing you Perseus."

Percy watched her walk into the grand hall and over to the table where Prince Luke sat. They exchanged cheek kisses and small smiles.

He was just flirting with the Prince's future wife. The Prince's future wife was flirting back! It was all a bit much too process. He was suddenly glad he'd taken the bottle of wine. He really needed a drink right about now.


	2. Chapter 2

im so terrible at updating. i blame schoolwork. but at least this chapter is long?

* * *

Even though she had only known him for a few weeks, Annabeth knew one thing about Luke to be an absolute fact. He loved to talk. A lot.

She's not sure if he just likes the sound of his own voice or he gets a kick out of knowing there's a table of men hanging on his every word any time he says just about anything, but once he starts its a while before he stops. Even from outside of the makeshift meeting room Annabeth could see he was giving some long-winded speech.

Annabeth thinks, knows actually, that Luke is only holding this little roundtable meeting to assert a level of seriousness amongst the higher-ups in Zeus' kingdom. The party last night made him appear too lax to these people. He needs to remind them that he is Prince Luke, future king! He is to be taken seriously and treated with the upmost respect and blah blah blah. It's going to be a while before his father dies. Right now Luke is just a little boy prince pretending to be a man king.

Just like when she was younger, Annabeth's curiosity is getting the better of her. When she was just a child and would hear her parents were holding a meeting with other dignitaries in the kingdom, she would take her dolls and play right outside of the room, occasionally taking a sneak peak through the small hole in the door to see what was happening. She loved to see her parents - especially her mother - conversing and strategizing within that big group of people. Just knowing that whatever happened in that room could determine how the outside world was to be ruled was fascinating to her. She wanted to be a part of something like that one day but today was not that day. Luke told her to _'entertain herself'_ while he was gone handling business so here she was, standing outside of the room, pretending to be intently reading some book about something in an effort to find out what Luke was saying.

She was trying to distinguish voices from inside the room when she heard one that sounded way too close for comfort. "Miss Annabeth Chase, are you eavesdropping?" Annabeth spun around and was met with a pair of unnervingly green eyes. The same pair she met outside of last night's party.

"I don't blame you, really. I myself was actually just taking a stroll hoping to hear what the prince wanted with my father."

"I wasn't eavesdropping," her response was a tad delayed. He turned away from peaking into the room to smirk at her and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Don't worry I won't tell. Your secret is safe with me." He placed a finger over his mouth for added effect.

"I was _not_ eavesdropping." She repeated, this time through gritted teeth.

Percy sighed and shook his head at whatever was happening inside the meeting, deciding to give Annabeth his full attention. He had heard about this silly little gathering the prince had called for and just had to know what it was about. He was down the hall when he saw the blond trying her best to look inconspicuous (but looking quite suspicious) and suddenly his focus was shifted.

Percy would be lying if he said he hadn't thought of the princess-to-be since their encounter last night. In fact, all he did was go to his room, nurse a bottle of wine, and daydream about those enchantingly gray eyes and fantastically blond curls. It was such a welcome change from the brown-eyed dark haired girls he was used to seeing around the kingdom. Annabeth was something of an exotic beauty to Percy. He felt slightly nervous around her; he was suddenly hyper-aware of everything around him. He couldn't focus on one particular thing yet he was intently focused on her. It was at lot for his brain to try and process.

Once they were both seemingly finished with their respective spying, green met gray and the air suddenly felt too thick for Annabeth. Her expression must have betrayed her because Percy smiled, a bit too comfortably for her liking. She expected when she ran into him again that he'd be different, less forward than he was the pervious night now that he knew who she was but if anything he seemed empowered by the fact that he was in her presence.

"Hello, my lady." Percy breathed out as if they had just now approached each other.

"Hello Perseus." He liked the way his name sounded on her lips but he still winced. "Was there something wrong with the way I said your name?"

He shook his head, dark unkempt locks falling in front of his green orbs. _He needs a haircut_, Annabeth thought.

"My mother and father call me Perseus." He leaned in as if he were about to tell her a secret. The close proximity was almost suffocating. "You can call me Percy."

His words settled with her for a moment before she replied with a shrug, "I think I'll call you Perseus." With a smirk she began walking down the hallway, the sound of Percy's footsteps not too far behind.

Percy searched for something to say, anything that would keep the conversation going. He liked to hear her speak, her voice. Percy wasn't sure if it was possible to fall for a voice but he thinks he is.

After wracking his brain all he could come up with was, "Our mothers seemed to be getting along at the party last night."

"How would you know? You left early, remember?" She quipped. Suddenly Percy felt bad for leaving.

"Right," he muttered, again searching for a conversation topic. "Has anyone shown you around the kingdom yet–"

"Has anyone ever told you that you change subjects quickly?"

"Because I would like to."

The pair stopped walking – well, Annabeth stopped and Percy followed suit. He walked around to face her, a weak smile on his face. He knew what his proposition sounded like but he didn't mean it like that. At least, that's what he was trying to convince himself.

Percy intrigued Annabeth. From what she could tell, he was a few years younger than Luke meaning he was close to her in age. He was friendly, charming, and handsome but he was also a _he_. She wasn't sure how well that would go over with Luke. Then again, why did it matter? He was just showing her around. It was a host being nice to his guest. It's not like he was planning on whisking her away from the prince. (At least she didn't think Percy was planning on it.)

"Since you will be staying here for the week I assume you will want to know how to get around and I assure you I am a much better guide than any of the servants my uncle could assign to show you around."

"If we go, we may have to take a few guards. I don't think Luke will let me roam the kingdom unprotected with some boy."

Percy's hand went up to his chest as he feigned hurt. "Some boy? I will have you know I am the son of Poseidon meaning I can absolutely be trusted with the most precious of things."

"Are you saying I'm a precious thing?" Annabeth asked catching on to what Percy was implying. He smiled and she took note of the way the corners of his eyes crinkled when he did.

He chose not to respond to that. Being so friendly with an engaged woman isn't right. (He repeated those words like a mantra in his head.) "If you need to take guards, we will take guards. Just say that you'll allow me to do this."

Percy was almost embarrassingly elated when Annabeth agreed to the impromptu tour. He felt even better about it when she decided guards wouldn't be necessary. Although a few moments after they stepped outside, he kind of wished maybe at least one guard had tagged along.

People looked out of the corner of their eyes, whispering things like, _'well would you look at that, Poseidon's boy with the princess'_. Maybe it looked a little too friendly to the average bystander, them strolling through the main courtyard, just the two of them, and Percy wanted to tell every person giving them cross glances that it wasn't like that but he doubted that would've changed anything. People loved a good gossip.

Annabeth couldn't decide whether the glances from people littered throughout the courtyard were directed at her or Percy (or the both of them). She didn't know much about Percy or his reputation around the kingdom. He could be some kind of lothario and she wasn't any the wiser. With each pointed stare and hushed whisper, Annabeth was regretting her decision. Percy must have caught on to her decreasing level of comfort because he cleared his throat and tried to spark up conversation. "So, Annabeth Chase, tell me something about yourself."

"Don't you already know everything? I know everyone has been buzzing about me ever since word got out Prince Luke had chosen a wife." Percy picked up on the slight contempt in her voice. If he didn't know any better he would think she wasn't all that excited about her upcoming nuptials.

"Yes but all anyone said is how absolutely stunning you are. And while you more than live up to that, I was hoping to hear something else about you. Straight from your own mouth." _Quite a perfect mouth at that_, he thought.

Annabeth willed the pink to leave her cheeks. "What would you like to know?"

Percy thought for a moment. "What's your age?"

It was such a simple question yet it was more than Luke had asked her when they first met. He basically got the rundown about her from her father and approached her acting as if they'd known each other their whole lives. "Eighteen."

"Luke's, what, approaching his twenty-second birthday?" Percy knew it wasn't unusual for men to marry younger women but surely Luke could have found someone closer to his age. He wasn't sure why it bothered him so much, Luke and Annabeth's age difference, but it did.

Annabeth shrugged. Luke wasn't that much older. She knew girls that married men ten, twenty years older than themselves. She had a man only a few years her senior so she wasn't complaining. "Can I ask you something now?" Percy nodded. He took a quick glance around and saw they were getting close to his favorite spot in the kingdom. "Forgive me if it's too personal but why are you not married?"

There was silence for what felt like forever. Annabeth was afraid she had asked the wrong thing. Her curiosity always seemed to get the better of her. Percy had asked her how old she was and she skipped all the polite, friendly questions and went straight for the one that had been on her mind since she overhead Zeus telling Luke about his 'unwed nephew who, regardless, was still great with a sword'. Percy was an attractive young man. His eyes were amazing, a spectacular green speckled with blue. If she were a painter she'd spend days painting those eyes. And despite his unkempt dark hair, his looks paired with his charming personality, he would be a catch for any girl. So naturally the fact that he was still single was puzzling to her.

They stopped walking once they reached the point where the cobblestoned path ended and a sandy beach spread in front of them. The sea followed the sand and the ocean looked spectacular from where they stood. The sun was going down in the sky - which could only mean night was coming and Luke was probably wondering where his bride had wandered off to.

"I believe in love," Percy said suddenly. "My parents met by chance and they fell in love. That is what I want, what they have. I know my father is just doing what he thinks is best by shuffling me around and introducing me to these girls but that isn't how I want to get a bride. I would rather be single than suffer an arranged marriage. No offense."

"None taken." Annabeth once felt the way Percy did. Admittedly she hadn't thought much of marriage but when she did, she always thought she would be courted the same way her father courted her mother. Being promised to some prince in an effort to unite two kingdoms and keep peace was last on her list of circumstances under which to wed.

There's something about Percy that makes her want to be brutally honest so she blurts out her next words without thinking. "My father says I will learn to love Luke. He says that things will get easier once we start a family. The children will become my main priority and soon my feelings for Luke will be the least of my worries."

"Do you believe that?"

"I have no choice but to believe it."

It's obvious that this marriage isn't exactly what she wants and it's killing him. He wants to tell her she shouldn't do it, that she should tell her mother that she'll have to find some other way to settle tension with King Hermes. He wants to laugh and say _'love isn't learned, silly, it just is'_ but he holds his tongue.

(He wants her to tell him she'll postpone her nuptials because she has the same uneasy fluttering in her stomach when she's around him as Percy does when he's around her but, of course, she does not.)

"I should get you back to the castle before Luke sends guards after my head." Percy doesn't want to but he knows he has to. He would like to talk to her longer, watch her gray eyes dance as she tries to come up with clever quips to his words. He suddenly feels very jealous of Luke. Not that he'd admit it.

"Do not worry, I wouldn't let him harm a hair on your head."

"Lets hope you won't have to convince him not to."

Percy walked Annabeth back into the castle and all the way to the portion Zeus had quartered to her and Luke and the guards and guests they brought along. All the way there they talked more about little unimportant things. Percy told her how much he liked the place they had just left and how being in front of the ocean, watching the waves, calms him. Annabeth told him her opinion on the castle he called home. Apparently she had a bit of a thing for buildings and their structures.

It was a nice outing and both of them secretly wished tomorrow would allow for a repeat but neither admitted it. They said their goodbyes and went their separate ways, Annabeth to meet Luke and Percy to...wherever Percy chose to go.

"Well who is this stranger?" Luke caught Annabeth as she was walking through the corridor to her bedroom. He approached her, sly smile on his face. "I almost forgot I brought you along on this trip. Where were you all day?"

She wasn't sure why she lied but she did. "I was just around the castle. You said to entertain yourself so I visited with some of the maidens. We discussed wedding things."

He nodded before folding his arms across his chest. "So you were here and not frolicking around the kingdom with the Jackson boy?"

"If you knew why did you act as if you didn't?" She didn't mean to snap but the smug look he got on his face because he caught her in a lie was annoying.

"Why did you lie?" It took everything in Annabeth's body not to roll her eyes. "Listen I trust you but being around Perseus and boys like him should not become a habit for you."

"And why not?"

"Because I have something they cannot have: you." He reached up and took one of her loose curls between his slender fingers. "I have the most beautiful girl in all the lands and they're jealous. I don't trust them around you. After all, a pretty girl can make a smart boy do stupid things."

Annabeth figured he was supposed to be flattered by his words but to her it was just an insult coated in compliments. Was she supposed to stay locked up in a tower because he was afraid of her being around other men? And more than that, did he think she would actually fall for just any boy's charms?

"Is that all I am to you? Beauty?" She asked and he shrugged. Of course. His silence spoke volumes. "Well on that note, I think I'll retire for the night. Goodnight Luke."

Her mother gets a truce out of the marriage and Luke gets a pretty wife. Annabeth wondered just what exactly she was getting.

* * *

"I am in trouble, Grover. Deep, deep, never ending trouble." Percy lay on his bed while his hand servant dusted his tables. Although, to be honest, Grover was more like his best friend that just happened to tidy his room everyday.

Grover chuckled as he dusted Percy's table down. "What did you do this time? Steal this book from you mother's shelf?" Grover tossed the book on Percy's bed.

"I think I fell in love. Do you think it's possible to – " Percy jolted upright. "What book? I don't have books."

Grover's dusting stopped and he stared at his friend. "You...fell in love? With whom? The daughter of the blacksmith your father set you up with a few days ago?"

"No, no," Percy shook his head. He contemplated telling Grover. He could trust him, he knew that, but Percy wasn't sure he wanted this kind of information getting out. "I think I'm wrong. I do not even know what love feels like. Besides it takes more than a day - a few hours at the most, actually - to fall in love with someone."

"If you don't know what it feels like, how do you know how long it takes to feel it?" Grover had a point but Percy still wasn't convinced. He was both sure and unsure of his feelings at the same time.

Percy sighed and grabbed the book Grover had tossed to him. "I don't know maybe I just really, really like her. Perhaps we could be great friends..." His words trailed off as his ran his fingers over the leather binding of the book. His eyebrows came together in confusion. He had seen this book before.

"Who's this girl, Percy?" Grover asked yet again.

Percy stood up and headed out of his bedroom. Before he disappeared completely he turned around to face his friend. "Annabeth Chase."

Grover's eyes widened. "Like, future Princess Annabeth Chase? Prince Luke's Annabeth Chase?"

"That's the only one I know of." Percy smirked. "I will be back in a moment. I have to return a book."

Grover opened his mouth to speak but Percy was already gone. The servant just shook his head. Trouble indeed, he thought.

* * *

Percy tiptoed through the hallways not wanting to cause any unnecessary attention to himself. It was pretty late at night and where exactly he was going would certainly be questioned if his father or mother were to catch him out. Visiting a girl this late who you weren't married to or at least promised to was highly inappropriate.

Two guards at the double doors that led to Luke's corridor met Percy with scowls on their faces. "Gentlemen," he shot them a smile. "Mind letting me in? I borrowed a book from the Prince and I am just here to return it."

The guards exchanged a look. "Give it here. We'll give it to 'im."

"I was afraid you would say that." Percy sighed and stepped a pace closer to them. "See my father slipped a note between the pages before I left and he told me to make sure I got the book to Luke. I would hate to disobey my father's orders. And even worse, I would hate to tell him I was forced to disobey orders by two guards who didn't trust the son of Poseidon to deliver a book to the Prince."

It was rare Percy used his clout to get things that he wanted but this was a special situation. The guards looked at each other once more before stepping aside to let the raven-haired boy through. Percy nodded to both of them thankfully before entering the corridor.

Percy figured Luke would be nowhere to be found. His uncle just had a few crates of wine brought into the castle and unless he planned on drinking it all himself, it was safe to say the prince would be drinking with Zeus. Percy saw a handmaiden leave one room that lined the long hallway and smile sweetly at him before turning and walking in the opposite direction. He waited a moment before walking up to the door, gently tapping his knuckles against the wood.

There was rustling from inside the room before the door swung open. "Did you forget something – " Annabeth seemed utterly stunned that Percy was standing at her door, which he pretty much expected her to be. She blinked a few times, registering the situation before speaking again. "Perseus what are you doing here?"

He grinned and held up the book. "You forgot this. My servant must have found it in the hall and thought it belonged to me. I came to return it..." His words seemed to trail off once he realized he had caught her before bed. She wasn't dressed in a fancy dress like he had seen her in before nor was her hair in some intricate half-up/half-down styling; her hair was braided neatly and her face seemed fresh and she had a certain glow about her. The dark blue robe she wore was open – of course it _had_ to be blue – to reveal a simple white nightgown. It fit her perfectly, hugged her body just right. Percy knew he staring but honestly it was hard to tear his eyes away.

Annabeth gave him a second to catch himself and stop blatantly staring but clearly he had no shame. She rolled her eyes and closed her robe, causing his eyes to flicker up to her face.

"I am _so_ sorry. I just..." Percy shook his head trying to loosen some of those cobwebs. His hands tightened around the book – the book! That's why he was here. "Right, your book. Here you go."

"Thank you for returning it." She smiled politely and removed the book from his grasp. "Goodnight Perseus."

"Wait," Percy's hand met the door to prevent it from closing in his face. His mother would always tell him how interesting it was that sometimes he couldn't focus at all, that his mind seemed all over the place, and at other times he could become so focused he would notice things he would have missed before. "You seem upset. What's wrong?"

Of course he would not only see that something was bothering her but he would ask about it. Her servant had noticed but she didn't dare ask. And even if she had Annabeth wouldn't have told her anything. These were Zeus' servants, not hers. She didn't trust them with her secrets.

"You can tell me, Annabeth. I won't tell anyone." It was almost as if he read her mind which threw her a bit. (Yes, it was his words the distracted her, not the boyish smile that followed said words.)

"Fine. Here is what is bothering me," she huffed out, folding her arms over her chest. "There is a strange boy standing in my doorway. He nearly drooled at the sight of my open robe and he is currently keeping me from a good night's sleep."

Percy chuckled and leaned in close (close enough to catch the faint smell of lemons), "He sounds like a total knob. You should slam the door in his face."

Annabeth did her best to stifle a laugh that she so badly wanted to let out. "Perseus you need to go. If Luke catches you – "

"He'll do nothing." He finished for her. "He knows hurting the nephew of King Zeus won't earn him any favors."

"Luke doesn't care much for favors. He'll still imprison you or gouge your eyeballs out of your head for looking at me like you do." She placed a hand on his shoulder and spun him around. When she (attempted) to push him out of her doorway and into the hallway she could feel the muscles in his back contracting, resisting her efforts, and it admittedly brought a blush to her cheeks she hoped he wouldn't notice. She managed to shove him completely out of the room before he turned around to face her.

"So you rudely shove me after I came all the way here just to bring you your book?" Percy's hands folded over his chest dramatically. "Annabeth Chase, where are your manners?"

She bit her lip and rolled her eyes playfully. "Thank you ever so much Perseus Jackson for returning my book. I shall remember it for as long as I shall live. I am forever in your debt." He grinned widely and his eyes sparkled and Annabeth tried to convince herself that stupid grin and those stupid sparkly green eyes did not send her stomach in knots. "Goodnight Perseus."

Looking back on it Percy will say it was that moment, that one pivotal moment he paused before saying goodnight that set everything in motion. If he wouldn't have paused his eyes wouldn't have had the time to glance down at her lips, he wouldn't have felt a sudden surge of confidence run through his body and he definitely would not have swiftly leaned down and placed his lips on top of hers. It took Percy less than three seconds to realize what he was doing. He pulled away, meeting a pair of wide, surprise-ridden grey eyes. "Goodnight, Annabeth." He waited until she closed to door to make his way back to his bedroom.

Oh yes, he sure was in deep trouble.


End file.
